Lia Winegar and her aunt have always been thick as thieves, as close as a niece and aunt could be.
Now, fresh out of high school, Lia plans to spend her last summer at home before going away to college. But as one chapter of her life closes, another begins. When she stumbles upon one of her Aunt Natalie’s old journals—along with a faded photograph of a man she’s never seen before—Lia realizes her aunt's life isn't the open book she always thought it was. Natalie isn’t the only one with a secret, though. Lia still hasn’t told her family just how far she plans to go; and while she unearths her aunt’s whirlwind story through a firsthand account, she discovers some truths of her own.
As the forgotten story of one summer unfolds, how much of each woman's tale will remain undeveloped?
A super sweet quick paced read that had me wanting more from both characters and both timelines.
The thing that I really enjoyed reading the most was how the author wrote the story from both of the characters POV and how we got to see how they interacted with each other. But the way their stories intertwined really sealed the deal for me.
Everything about this book was sweet to me. It was a really cool and warm setting and the writing really shown bright through said setting. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen with both Lia and Natalie.
Undeveloped is definitely what this book is not. The characters in this story exhibit so much growth throughout the book that it was a beautiful sight to read through. This quick, sweet read will take you on a journey through self-discovery and growth.
I cannot even begin to tell you how good this book is. It has rendered me speechless.
1st, I'd like to thank K. Leigh for giving me the opportunity to read it.
2nd, I haven't had a good ugly cry lately, but the last few chapters did me in.
3rd, if you want to read something that sucks you in and doesn't let you up for air, then this is the book for you. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I wanted more and more of Nat and Matt. I hated that it had to end. I hate cliffhangers, but goodness, I wish there would've been one just so the book didn't have to end! ;)
This book drew me in from the first chapter. I love books involving young love and summer romance, but this story goes so much deeper than that. Lust, love, joy, pain, sorrow, loss...there are so many layers to this story that I emotionally ached when it was all over. This was one of those gut punch novels for me, one that is so good and so emotional that you have to take a deep breath and mentally chew on what you just read.
This beautifully written tale will take you on a journey of discovery and revelation, one that showcases the growth - and sometimes lack thereof - amongst the main characters. It will leave you feeling all sorts of emotions, so be ready for all of that - but it will be absolutely worth it.
It’s not very often that I wish I could go back to re-read a book for the first time so that I could experience all the genuine reactions to the book all over again, but I wish I could do that with this book. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2020.
Excellent story told from several points of view (which I love). The further I read, the harder it became to put this book down. Natalie and Matt have an emotional whirlwind romance while at summer camp and thanks to her niece Lia, truths about that summer come out and they have the opportunity to reconnect. I look forward to reading more by this author!
This may be one of my favorite novels I’ve read this year. It was dreamy and soft and beautiful. A heart wrenching story that keeps you on your toes to the very end. It was honestly breathtaking. You fall in love with the story and never want it to end. Wow. Wow. Wow.
This book was as easy and warm as a summer's night. It was sweet, heart warming, steamy, and thought provoking. The dual timelines added intrigue and depth as each woman's secrets were discovered. Lia and her aunt Natalie have always been close but when Lia discovers Natalie's journal from the summer after high school graduation she realizes there are stories of the past that she hasn't heard before. From the naivety of youth to the cynicism of adulthood, Undeveloped explores the relationships of family, friends, and lovers.
This book was fast paced while reading smoothly. The characters were well developed and easy to relate to. Through the diary entries we were able to really get to know Natalie and the present narrative from Lia was compelling. Bringing in some additional perspective both in the past and present as the story progressed was surprising but really helped to round out the narrative. Parts of the story felt a little rushed like more background could have been explored but as a whole it flowed well. The epilogue left the HEA up to some interpretation by the reader and had me wanting more. I'm excited to hear that there will be more coming from K. Leigh with these characters.
I just finished reading the ARC copy. This is a story of Twin Flames. Their love and their pain. This is such a beautifully written story. When I was busy and not reading this book, I was thinking about it. Now that I have finished reading it, I still can not stop thinking about it. So beautiful. Y'all need to one click this on October 17th!
My heart aches and soars through the entire book. From mystery to love to down right hatred pouring out of you as you read the words coming off the pages like you're living it and watching it unfold.
I don't even have the words to do this story justice. It was heart stopping. Even after the end my heart still hurts for Natalie and what could of been. It's fast paced and you won't want to stop reading even after the story is over!
Undeveloped is the beautiful journey of a woman’s life come full circle. I’d like to note, when I started this book, I didn’t know it was women’s fiction. Once I figured out as much, things clicked easier as I read.
Natalie and Matt’s summer together is a beautiful tale. Whenever I read their chapters, I was immersed. Their connection was simple and beautiful and perfect.
The last 25-30% of the story had me on the edge of my seat to finish. And I have a request... more Natalie and Matt.
This was such an amazing story. It was written so beautifully and I truly enjoyed the characters. I think this is a rather unique story told in a different fashion. It was such a refreshing read, not to mention addictive. I highly recommend this book!!!
This book sucked me in and held my attention till the very end! I love how the book switches from different points of view to get the whole story. The twist at the end was just that - a twist!! Seriously loved this book!
Author K Leigh has such a wonderful way with words. Her stories continue to get better and better, and I am always on the lookout for her next book! Undeveloped was an absolutely beautifully written story with characters you fall in love with, wonderful revelations, and heartbreaking moments. It is well worth the read, and I hope everyone picks it up!
This is a dual-timeline story with Lia, our present-day teenager stumbling across her Aunt Natalie’s journals from her own youth. As Lia secretly reads more and more of Natalie’s entries, she becomes entranced by what looks like a love-lost in Natalie’s history.
The characters in this book were beautiful. Natalie was my favorite. I couldn’t stop reading her story. I fell in love with her attitude towards life. She had such a lovely free spirit, and I just wanted her part to never end. There is so much that happens in the book, and I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but it was a beautiful story.
The overall plot of Lia reading Natalie’s journals was mixed with some pretty impactful surprises as the story progressed. I laughed, I cried. . . I was emotionally invested in their stories. K Leigh has written a story that is sure to tug at your heartstrings, and take you on a wonderful journey!
Content Warning: This story touches on infant loss which may be a trigger for some readers.
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
After graduating high school, Lia Winegar planned to spend her summer helping her family with the wedding venue they had developed on the family farm, while indulging in her favorite hobby. A love of photography was something she shared with her aunt Natalie, and both women had a discerning eye for details that delighted brides across the country. While in the attic searching for a carton of lights, Lia comes across Natalie’s diary, kept the summer she after she graduated from high school, and tucked inside the pages was a photograph of Natalie with a very handsome young man. Not knowing any details about him made Lia curious, and she began to read about Natalie’s life at eighteen.
Eighteen years earlier, Natalie was planning her final summer as a camp counselor before heading off to college. Her best friend Kate and Kate’s boyfriend Seth were also working as counselors, and the three of them were alternating between delight that they were working together again and sadness that everything would be changing in the fall. Matt was new to the group; an avid photographer, he and Natalie hit it off and began to spend early mornings together photographing the sunrise. Soon, their friendship turned to romance, though Natalie was still determined to attend college and be an independent career woman.
Told in alternating viewpoints, Undeveloped chronicles Natalie’s last summer of freedom and Lia’s confusion over discovering her beloved aunt was not always the person she is today. I enjoyed watching both women learn to find the courage to live their lives according to their own personal plans and not to be forced into a role that did not suit. The loyalty of friends and family carried Natalie through her darkest times, and even when Lia’s curiosity got the better of her, leading her to search for Matt, she was quickly forgiven. This is a fast read that flows easily from one time period to the next, and I enjoyed it very much.
My thanks to the author for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was phenomenal and left me feeling broken and wanting so much more.
Lia Winegar finds her aunt's (Natalie) journal up in the attic and is instant intrigued by the journal. Lia and Natalie are pretty close for an aunt and niece to be, so when she gets the chance to learn a little bit more about her aunt, Lia can't help herself. Especially when she discovers a photo of Natalie with a guy. Each night she stays up late reading about her aunt and this one amazing summer and the love that "got away". Lia ends up learning so much about her aunt and now has so many questions to ask her. But Lia doesn't want her aunt to be mad at her for snooping in her private journal, so Lia decides to do some research and get answers another way.
If I had the ability to give this book more than 5 stars I would. I think K Leigh, did an outstanding job with this story. She pulled at every single one of my heart strings possible. I wasn't expecting the story to take the turns that it did and I am glad it did, because it kept me glued to the book. Matt and Natalie are amazing together, both broken on the inside. They may come from different upbringings but their differences is what makes them mesh so well. I found that the characters are well developed and were easy to connect with. As I mentioned before the ending isn't your typical happily ever after, but it is still one fore the books. I would love for there to be another book following Lia and or Natalie; I am hooked on them.
This story is so much more than the words, it’s all the emotions behind them, it’s all unsaid words you can feel being said.
This is Natalie’s story, Natalie and Matt’s story and Natalie and Lia’s story all woven tightly together in such an utterly heartfelt and heartbreaking way. It takes us from a youthful journey of young love and self-discovery into a mysterious present where a picture holds all the answers. I am a believer in the stories that pictures tell and what we see in them, this story gives us that amazingly.
Natalie’s story is one of becoming who she wants to be, one of discovery from youth and the standards that were instilled in here that she didn’t want to be coming who she had to become after the picture into who Lia’s sees her to be once the truth of the picture is revealed. Natalie and Matt’s story is utterly beautiful. It’s a true test of love in all senses of the word and it heartbreaking. A truth in knowing how to trust and when to trust.
I can’t fully but into words how I feel about Natalie and Lia’s story, for me there is a connection, it’s an aunt/niece relationship that I have not seen before, beyond special. It left me breathless, the depths Lia goes to for Natalie to make sure she is happy, she is secure.
This book is about love. Love of family, love from a lover, love of yourself, love in yourself. This book is about passion. The passion in finding out how to get your dreams. This book is about the strength of two women, one whose past is discovered to help heal her and the others whose future is wide open and learning to face her fears through her aunt’s healing.
UNDEVELOPED by K. Leigh is the third book of hers I have read. Well, I've read all of her books. 😉 Lia, Natalie and Matt's story is my favorite! I easily connected with Lia and Natalie and loved their relationship. I was totally surprised where the story went. My heart was all twisted up and at times I was so sad for them all. I definitely went through every emotion the last quarter of the book. Highly recommend!
What a beautiful story this was. Undeveloped is about friendship, love, beginnings and loss. This was so wonderfully written and it will consume you with every word you read about one summer many years ago. Great characters and an amazing, emotional story that will really pull at your heart strings. Be prepared to be captivated by this book because you will be haunted by this story. I hope that K Leigh writes more about these characters because I fell in love with them and their story and would love to know what happened in their future. A must read 5 star book that I highly recommend. Thank you K Leigh for sharing this with us.
I received an arc copy and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Leigh is quick to say this is women's fiction. And maybe it is by most definition. But for me it's a romance.
Undeveloped is the story of Natalie and Matt. Told through journals found by her niece, Lia. Lia herself is on a path of self discovery after finishing lunch school she must decided what she wants to do with her life. Stay close to home or go out into the world. She lives with her parents and her aunt and she's happy but she wants to see more, do more.
Natalie is trying to move on after years of heart break. She left the boy she loved and had lived with the consequences ever since. Matt, he's never forgotten Natalie and good they are perfect.
An enthralling story! I could not put this down. I love flashbacks and reading about someone’s young love. Undeveloped does not disappoint.
We follow Lia as she explores her Aunt Natalie’s one time summer love almost two decades before through journals.
I found the writing pulling me in page after page and relatable to how my own teen years felt. Many factors threaten a budding romance but Leigh throws in some surprises along the way that had me shocked.
Quite a different read from other novels I’ve read of hers!
Fabulous! This was a perfect story of young love mixed with tragedy. We get to experience the whirlwind summer of Natalie and Matt with Lia through the reading of a seemingly forgotten journal. Lia's pure determination to figure it all out finishes out the story beautifully!
A beautiful story about family, friendship, and finding one’s self. I loved every moment of Undeveloped and could not put it down. There was so much mystery surrounding Natalie’s past that kept me intrigued throughout the entire book all the way to the end.
💫 Book Review 💫 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐝 by K. Leigh Being trusted with a novel by an independent publishing author is something I am grateful for. I was gifted this book by @authork.leigh a few months ago and knowing that it was going to be available on November 16, I knew I wanted it in my November stack. No better time to share than on the last day of the month! At 223 pages, this book goes by quickly. The author shares the story with flashbacks and present day voices. Lia is the young woman who wanders upon her beloved aunt Natalie’s diary. By reading it, she ventures into her Aunt’s past and the secret summer that changed her life. It touches on that first love, an accident and meddling family members... What’s not to like? 😉